Kayode Tokede
Coleman Technical Industries Limited yesterday called for stiffer penalties for manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit and substandard cables, saying weak enforcement is encouraging the growth of the illicit trade.
The company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, George Onafowokan, made the call while responding to questions from journalists after a media tour of Coleman’s factories in Sagamu, Ogun State.
Onafowakan said the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) needs to strengthen its enforcement efforts to protect genuine manufacturers and consumers from substandard products.
He argued that confiscating and destroying counterfeit cables without prosecuting those responsible would not serve as an effective deterrent.
The Coleman boss questioned the number of counterfeiters prosecuted by SON, alleging that the regulator had not done enough to ensure that offenders faced criminal sanctions.
He also alleged that SON sometimes focuses on charging manufacturers for testing cables rather than working with relevant agencies to prosecute those involved in counterfeiting.
Onafowokan said regulators should emulate the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), which, according to him, had intensified enforcement against counterfeit pharmaceutical products.
“If there is no consequence, all you’ve done is just to remove a little off my shelf. I’ll buy another one because you did not tell me I’ve become a criminal for doing it,” he said.
He stressed further that substandard cables could cause fires and endanger lives, making stronger enforcement and prosecution necessary.
Onafowokan disclosed that Coleman had been working with the Nigeria Police Force, including the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Tunji Disu, and various zonal and state Police Commands, to tackle cable counterfeiting.
He said the company had incurred significant costs supporting investigations and legal processes, including laboratory testing of suspected adulterated cables.
According to him, Coleman was awaiting the conclusion of a case which could become the first in Nigeria in which a person would be convicted and jailed specifically for adulterating cables.
Onafowokan said counterfeit cables were highly profitable because they were produced with reduced quantities and inferior materials but sold at prices close to those of genuine products.
He said substandard cables could be 30 to 40 per cent less material in length, allowing counterfeiters to make excessive profits while putting consumers at risk.
The Coleman CEO also called for greater government support for local manufacturers under the Nigeria First policy, noting that the company had benefited from increasing local-content opportunities in the oil and gas and telecommunications sectors.
Also speaking, Coleman Executive Director, Michael Onafowokan, said SON had a critical responsibility to create an enabling environment for quality products while tackling counterfeiters.
He urged the regulator to strengthen its enforcement efforts, noting that counterfeiting was increasingly taking place within Nigeria in addition to the importation of substandard products.
The Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Ilori Sanusi, called on the federal government and the National Assembly to review existing laws and ensure that penalties for counterfeiting were commensurate with the seriousness of the offences.
He argued that inadequate punishment could encourage offenders, stressing that penalties should be strong enough to serve as a deterrent